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MasterChef S9 Power Rankings (Pre-Game: Top 24)

Jun 7, 2018 by PowerRankings101

So here are my rankings post-auditions for MasterChef season 9! I will warn that I know that there was a double elimination, but since I wrote these AFTER the third round of auditions and BEFORE the top 24 mystery box, I have not altered anything, and my prediction stands.

24. Sid Hoeltzell- Older contestants either go first or make a shocking run. I see Sid being the first one out. He probably had a solid audition but won’t be able to handle the pressure of the MasterChef kitchen.

23. Alecia Winters- Alecia seems like she may fall apart pretty early. I don’t know what it is, but I wasn’t convinced from her fish and chips, and I’m still not convinced. If anyone goes home first from Team Aaron (the weakest team overall), I could see it being Alecia.

22. Ashley Mincey- Ashley was the last one to get a jacket, but although her brownie was good, it was a mess. Desserts are only half of what the MasterChef kitchen entails, and I can see her being one of the first to go.

21. Ralph Xavier Degala- Ralph’s pasta seemed greasy and yet Joe chose him for his team. I think Ralph will be fine for a few weeks but may be lost in the mix early on.

20. Julia Danno- Julia’s apron came in passing. The fact that Fox tried to hide her could spell trouble for her down the line.

19. Samantha Daily- Samantha the Sorority girl! Who didn’t love her energy and positivity? But is she good enough to win it all, I really don’t know. I think people will root for her, but she’ll get tripped up earlier on.

18. Sal Maida- All we know is that he made perfect pasta. Is he safe? I guess so? Show us more of these under edited people!

17. Mark Ingraham- Let’s start by saying: Mark should have been sent home in his audition. I mean, come on. However, he definitely showed some potential, and will probably advance a few episodes on potential alone. I just don’t see him being good enough to make it past the halfway point, despite a very redemption-esque edit so far.

16. Chelsea Sargent- Chelsea made pita by hand, which was super impressive. That’s about all I remember from Chelsea, which doesn’t give me enough confidence to put her on the top half of this list.

15. Ryan Cortez- Ryan seems like a really cool guy who can make some solid comfort food. But can he elevate it to high quality fine dining? The impression I got from his food was no. But he could end up shocking us. Middle of the road for me.

14. Gerron Hurt- Gerron seems so likable and a pleasure to work with. But he was easily outcooked by Farhan in the auditions and maybe didn’t completely deserve his apron. That being said, I think he’s really strong regardless and will do well on Joe’s team.

13. Matt Houck- Matt seems like a very likable guy, but he doesn’t give me any winner vibes. Solid middle of the road.

12. Juni Cuevas- Juni had lots of personality, but didn’t impress me too much with his food. So for me, I think he’ll go far on charisma alone, but will probably find himself on the bottom a lot until he goes home.

11. Darrick Krause- Darrick annoyed me at first, but there was just something so endearing about his passion and his love for Ramsay. I see him being the teacher’s pet of sorts, but can he win it all? I don’t think so.

10. Lindsay Haigh- We didn’t see much of Lindsay either, but her promising Lobster Bake soup looked like one of the tastier dishes from Team Aaron.

9. SJ- SJ was under edited in the auditions, but got so much praise from the judges. I think he is going to be quiet, but underestimated. He could be a dark horse.

8. Stephanie Willis- We didn’t see any of Stephanie in the audition aside from Joe saying “I’d hire you.” She’s already kitchen ready? Of all the under edited people, she’s got the best chance of making it deep.

7. Emily Hallock- Emily was strong enough to hold her ground against Joe when he called her out for using garlic powder. She’s a strong cook and knows her point of view. I see her doing pretty well.

6. Cesar Cano- Cesar’s the Mexican chef who will surely be one of Aaron’s favorites to work with. The two of them will be a teacher-student pairing I can’t wait to see, and I think Cesar is in it for the long haul.

5. Bowen Li- Bowen was a standout of the auditions. His balance of confidence and humbleness made him one to root for. I think he’ll go very deep in the competition. Will he win? I don’t know how he will necessarily handle the pressure when he’s outside of his comfort zone. But I think he’ll be the undisputed fan favorite.

4. Taylor Waltmon- Taylor has wanted this for three years now. Seeing her go home early would be a shame, and quite frankly, a shock. Cate made it to fourth place last year after previous years of experience, so I think that’s where I’ll put her now.

3. Olusola Ogbomo- I love Olusola, and the fact that judges were fighting over her shows just how good and valued she is. She is also so likable that I think it’ll make Joe’s hardcore personality somewhat tame. They might work really well together, and I can see her making it all the way to the finals.

2. Farhan Momin- Farhan is the clear favorite for Aaron’s team. His audition dish blew everyone out of the water, and established him as not only a great chef, but also a person people want to root for. He and Aaron’s shared immigration backgrounds will surely be the thing that bonds them together and could possibly make them an unstoppable force.

1. Shanika Patterson- Shanika is the one who stood out the most for me in the first episode. Goat cheese is my favorite, so to see her make a pastry with such perfection was a beauty to my eyes. She also has the fight that Joe was looking for, and I think she’ll fight all the way to the end. My winner pick (on the strongest team—Joe’s).

My favorites off the bat are Shanika, Farhan, Olusola, Taylor, and Bowen. The rest haven’t done enough to make me excited to root for them yet, but there is lots of potential. As history shows, older folks don’t do too well (with some exceptions), so I have Sid going home off the bat. If not him, Alecia did the least to impress me, and I could see her doing poorly.

PREDICTIONS:

Going Home- Sid Hoeltzell

#casting

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MasterChef S9 Power Rankings (Pre-Game: Top 24)

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